Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he and President Donald Trump sometimes differ on tactics but remain closely aligned on Iran and other major security goals.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said reported tensions with President Donald Trump do not reflect a rupture between the two leaders, describing their disagreements as tactical disputes within an otherwise close relationship.
Netanyahu addressed the issue during an interview with CNBC, saying he and Trump remain aligned on major objectives even when they differ over immediate decisions.
“Sometimes we have, as in the best of families, you have these tactical disagreements,” Netanyahu said.
The prime minister rejected the idea that the disputes signal a deeper split.
“We always find a way to work them out, and we do so as great friends,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu said he and Trump continue to share key goals, including preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He said the two leaders can move through disagreements quickly and return to common ground.
“We can disagree in the morning” and find common ground by the afternoon, Netanyahu said.
The comments came after Trump confirmed in an interview released Wednesday that he criticized Netanyahu during a Monday phone call. Trump said he was “a little bit perturbed” that Israel’s military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon were complicating efforts to move negotiations with Iran forward.
Asked about reports that Trump had called him “[expletive] crazy” during the call, Netanyahu declined to discuss the details.
“I’m not going to get into details,” he said.
Trump, while acknowledging frustration over the call, also emphasized that his working relationship with Netanyahu remains strong.
“We’ve worked very well together. I like Bibi a lot. And I work very well with him,” Trump said.
Netanyahu described Trump as the “greatest friend to Israel,” pointing to the relationship between the United States and Israel during Trump’s first administration. He also said the two leaders remain in regular contact.
“I speak with him once every two days,” Netanyahu said. “We have common goals … we want to achieve them.”
Trump said he and Netanyahu share common ground as wartime leaders, though he did not offer a timetable for resolving the broader tensions involving Iran.
Netanyahu also said uncertainty remains over how the current conflict should end. Asked what he wants from a possible ceasefire agreement, he said the answer is not yet settled.
“It’s an open question on how the war should end,” Netanyahu said.
The remarks from both leaders appeared aimed at containing speculation about a major split while acknowledging friction over Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon and Washington’s effort to advance talks with Tehran.
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